Orange Spiced Tea Poppy Seed Loaf with OJ Glaze

I drink coffee. A lot of coffee. For the most part, I only drink tea if I'm feeling sick or my mom is in town. But baking with tea is something different - I love it. I didn't really think about it until I attended the IFBC 2014 in Seattle last September. There, I attended a session led by Cindi Bigelow, President & CEO of Bigelow Tea. I learned an amazing amount of facts and information about tea. We also tasted amazing baked goods with tea as a main ingredient. This what inspired this loaf. Bonus: My kids loved it!

Brush with tea glaze - poke holes in top of loaf to ensure maximum tea flavour.

Brush or pour the glaze on the loaf once loaf has cooled.

Let sit for at least 30 minutes to dry slightly.

Ingredients

Tea:

3 bags orange and spice tea

1 -1/4 c  boiling water

Loaf:

1½ cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

3 Tbsp poppyseeds

3/4 cup plain yogurt

¼ c steeped orange and spice tea

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp orange zest

½ tsp vanilla

½ cup vegetable oil

Orange Tea Syrup:

1 cup orange and spice tea

1 cup granulated sugar

Glaze:

1 cup icing sugar

1 Tbsp orange juice

1 tsp pure orange flavoring (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with baking spray.

Tea

1. Steep 3 tea bags in boiled water.
2. Let steep 10 minutes.
3. Discards tea bags and let tea cool.

Syrup

1. Make orange syrup by placing 1 cup tea and 1 cup sugar in blender. Blend for 1 minute.
2. Set aside. Can be made ahead of time.

Loaf

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt and tea.
3. Add eggs and whisk until combined.
4. Add sugar, zest, vanilla and vegetable oil and whisk until combined.
5. Add in dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan.
8. Poke holes over top of loaf.
9. Brush syrup over orange poppy seed loaf.
10. Wait 10 minutes and brush with more syrup. (you’ll have extra syrup – just refrigerate for future use)
11. Cool loaf completely.
12. Create glaze by whisking together icing sugar, orange juice and orange flavoring.
13. Gently pour glaze over loaf, let set till crust forms on glaze, about 30 minutes.

Pucker Up Lemon Loaf

The heat of summer requires the refreshing taste and smell of lemons! This lemon loaf fits the bill with three layers of luscious lemon.

Ever so slightly adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

CAKE

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 1/4 cups sugar

8 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup grated lemon zest (from about 3-4 lemons)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 cups unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 tsp vanilla powder (optional)

SYRUP

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar (berry or castor sugar is preferable)

GLAZE

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted, or more if needed

5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

Serves 16 per loaf.

THE LOAVES

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the paper.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla powder (if using) and salt together in a medium bowl.
4. In another large bowl (or stand mixer) combine the sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
5. Very slowly, pour the butter in a bowl with mixer on lowest setting until combined.
6. Add the sour cream and vanilla mix until combined.
7. Add the flour mixture, one-third at a time, folding gently after each addition until just combined. Try to not over mix. It will be a bit weird looking at my produce a few lumps – that’s ok.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, rotate the pans, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F., and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpicks inserted in the centre of the loaves come out clean.
9. On wire rack, let cool in the pans for 15 minutes.

THE  SYRUP

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix the lemon juice and sugar. Once dissolved, cook for 3 additional minutes. Remove from the heat.
2. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and invert the loaves onto the pan. Use a toothpick to poke all over the loaves.
3. With half of the syrup, brush the tops and sides of the loaves. Once soaked into the cake, brush it again with rest of syrup. 
4. Cool the cakes cool completely.

THE GLAZE

1. Whisk together the icing sugar and lemon juice. If the mixture is too thick (it should be pourable but thick), add up to another tablespoon lemon juice and mix again. 
2. Pour the lemon glaze over the loaves. 
3. The glaze will harden a bit.

Daring Bakers - Grape-Almond quick bread

Grapes are not used to their full potential. You see them in tarts,fruit salad and on cheese plates but rarely in other baking. I wasn't sure if there was a reason for this or not but I wanted to find out!

I decided to create a grape quick bread with a lemon glaze (lemons and grapes really compliment each other). Did it work? Definitely! The grapes shrink a little bit which increases their sweetness and the lemon glaze adds a bit of zing.

The Daring Bakers’ February 2012 host was – Lis! Lisa stepped in last minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own. She supplied us with a base recipe and shared some recipes she loves from various websites and encouraged us to build upon them and create new flavor profiles.

See other recipes here.


Adapted from thekitchn

Ingredients
1 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
2 tbsp ground Flax (optional)
2 tbsp hemp hearts (optional)
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1-1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c super fine sugar
1 c grapes, cut in half
1 egg
1 c buttermilk
1/4 c butter, melted
1 tsp almond extract
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp lemon juice depending on how thick you want it
What to do

• In a large bowl, whisk together spices, flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, buttermilk and almond extract.
• Pour wet ingredients over dry.
• Stir to combine. Use a light hand and stop as soon as ingredients are mixed. If you over stir, your loaf will be tough.
• Gently fold in grapes.
• Scoop batter into 9 x 5 pan.
• Bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle of loaf comes out crumbless.
• Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile prepare glaze by combining powdered sugar and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth.
• Poke loaf multiple times with a wooden skewer or toothpick.
• Pour glaze over warm loaf.
• Cool and dig in!

Mom's Banana Bread Recipe

These little loaves even look like bread slices..get it...banana bread!

I grew up with this banana bread. It is especially good with a little slather of butter while it is still warm. I'd like to tell you that this will keep for a few days but the reality is it that it rarely lasts more than a day before it is eaten up!

And now for some banana  humour:

Q:Why do bananas wear suntan lotion?
A: 'Cause they peel!


Q:Why are bananas never lonely?
A:Because they hang around in bunches.

I usually use  a 9x5 loaf pan for this recipe but once in awhile I use a financier pan to make little loaves which are perfect for my kids' lunches. If you use these little pans (1-1/2 x 3 in) baking time is about 20 minutes.





Ingredients

• 1-3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 c mini chocolate chips
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 medium and very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

What to do
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

• Sift flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in medium mixing bowl.
• Cream shortening.
• Add sugar and beat till light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat for 1-2 minutes.
• Add dry ingredients alternately with bananas beating until combined after each addition.
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• Pour into 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
• Bake for 50 - 55 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread

This is my "go to" recipe for chocolate swirl banana bread. It is from one of my Cooking Light magazines. That issue has many variations of banana bread. This is my favorite and is dog-earred and splattered with ingredients to prove it!

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices (serving size: 1 slice)
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/2 cup egg substitute or 2 large eggs
1/3 cup low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Cooking spray

What to Do

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minute). Add banana, vanilla, eggs or egg substitute, and yogurt; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; mix until just moist.

Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters together using a knife. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Nutritional Information (using egg substitute)
Calories:183 (23% from fat)
Fat:4.7g
Protein:3.1g
Carbohydrate:33.4g
Fiber:1.3g
Cholesterol:8mg
Iron:1.1mg
Sodium:180mg
Calcium:18mg

Pucker-up Lemon Loaf

This is adapted from my Mom's amazing lemon loaf recipe. The sanding sugar (sugar with large granules) produces a great crisp-like topping that adds a great crunch to this beautifully moist loaf. It also keeps it crunch after the lemon glaze is added.

Ingredients
1.5 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp lemon rind

Glaze
Juice of 1 -2 large lemons
1/3 cup sugar

Optional
Sanding sugar

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 5 loaf pan.

1. In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until fluffy about 3 minutes.
2. Beat in cream cheese for another minute.
3. Beat in eggs one at a time.
4. Add vanilla and rind.
5. In another bowl sift or whisk flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Alternating with buttermilk, mix in dry ingredients in three additions (start with milk).
7. Pour batter into greased 9 x 5 loaf pan.
8. Bake for 60-70 minutes.
9. Cool for 10 minutes. Poke loaf all over with tooth pick or skewer.
10. Mix lemon juice and sugar until sugar is mostly dissolved. Pour evenly over loaf.
11. Wait another 10 minutes so juices can soak into loaf. Remove loaf from pan and cool completely.

Enjoy!

Note:
Do not over beat dry ingredients into wet. Mix until just incorporated to avoid a "tough" loaf.